First of all, let me just apologize now for introducing you to this cake. I’m usually not a fan of sheet cakes – but this one is in a stratosphere all it’s own. It’s totally a cake that your Southern grandmother would have made, that is – if you had a Southern grandmother. But with this cake, you can totally pretend you did, and say it’s a recipe that was handed down from her!

Our friends Jamie & Alex came over for dinner a couple weeks ago, and Jamie brought this as dessert. I’d heard her rave about it before, so I was excited to try it. She said an old woman who used to come to her mom to get her hair cut would bring this cake, and she loved it as a little girl. Then, thanks to Pinterest – she found a recipe and gave it a whirl. I was enamored – rich, gooey, sweet deliciousness.

The traditional version is make with Coca-Cola, but when I made my version I used Cheerwine. It’s a cherry-ish flavored soda that hails from North Carolina (or “Cackalacky” as we like to call it). We rarely drink soda, but I’m always looking for an excuse to buy some Cheerwine! There’s also a bit of soda in the glaze/frosting (it’s kind of somewhere in the middle) and I added some maraschino cherry juice to bump up the flavor a little bit more. It always stays a little bit soft, but forms this awesome glaze-like slightly crunchy top layer.

This will be the moistest chocolate cake you’ve ever had the pleasure of enjoying. And, it’ll be the easiest chocolate cake you’ve ever had the pleasure of making. Do you see why I apologized in advance? Have a great weekend everyone!

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch pan well with butter or shortening.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Mix to combine.

In a small saucepan combine the butter, cocoa powder, Cheerwine, and buttermilk. Stir over medium heat until butter has melted and mixture has combined.

Remove chocolate mixture from heat, and with the mixer running on low, slowly pour into the flour mixture. Add in eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. Mix until combined, then pour into prepared baking pan.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

While cake is baking, make the frosting/glaze. In a large saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa powder, Cheerwine, and maraschino juice. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and carefully whisk in 4 cups of confectioner’s sugar until smooth.

Pour the frosting over the warm cake. Let sit for at least 2 hours before cutting, or even overnight. I’ve found it’s even better on the second day than it is on the first!

I didn’t know you could get Cheerwine in MD. I don’t remember ever seeing it until I lived in NC. This sounds amazing. Told my daughter we would make a chocolate cake today and I might try to convince her to make this one (think we even have some Cheerwine in the garage:-)

Cheerwine is the best! It has its own unique flavor–not like other black cherry sodas you might have tried. If you try this cake (and it looks very similar to what my South Carolinian relatives make) you will probably love it…..

Making this tonight! The cinnamon and cocoa together just smell like Christmas. Majorly excited. I’m a Kansas girl and I just moved here to Kentucky with my husband and saw Cheerwine in the store and talked him into getting it! I’ve never had it before but I loved it andknewthere had to be some sort of cake recipe for it- although I might add my surprise at a chocolate cake recipe. I was totally thinking something like a 7up cake.

I usually just buy it, because I use it so often. But, you can make your own by combining 1 cup of milk with 1 Tbsp of white vinegar or lemon juice. You can also buy it in powdered form (you just add water to hydrate it) in the canned/powdered milk aisle. Stays good forever that way!

For those who haven’t had Cheerwine, it can be found in more places than the South — I know there are some places in Washington and Oregon that have it now. (I’m in NC, but know a transplant or two in the PacNW.) http://www.cheerwine.com/find